


XC2 H2H: The Prince and the Pandy

by KneecapRock



Series: KneecapRock's stories from the Xenoblade Multiverse [5]
Category: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Other, non-binary
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:08:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26909404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KneecapRock/pseuds/KneecapRock
Summary: A micro fanfic. Zeke drops the mask and opens up to Pandoria. He also comes out as non-binary!This is a SFW story.
Relationships: Zeke von Genbu/Saika | Pandoria
Series: KneecapRock's stories from the Xenoblade Multiverse [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1934293
Kudos: 3





	XC2 H2H: The Prince and the Pandy

**Heart-to-Heart: The Prince and the Pandy**

_ Spoiler warning: THIS CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR XENOBLADE CHRONICLES 2 _

_ This is meant to read like a Heart-to-Heart in the game, with a tad of description to make up for the lack of a visual element. _

Zeke laid awake in bed at Anastasia’s inn. It was only midday, but he tried - and failed - to get some rest, regardless.

Pandoria walked into the room, then closed the door as it had been before she entered.

Pandoria: Oh, my prince, you’re still awake?

Zeke: Yeah. Haven’t slept a wink.

Pandoria: Would you like me to leave you-

Zeke: No, It’s fine. Actually, Pandy, would you mind… chatting, for a bit?

Pandoria: Of course not, my prince!

Zeke sat up against the bed’s backboard as Pandoria had a seat on the side of the bed.

Pandoria: Sooo, anything you wanted to talk about in particular?

Zeke: Well… Yeah, sort of.

Pandoria: Sort of?

Zeke: Please, be honest with me. Do you like it when I call you “Pandy”?

Pandoria: Huh? Where’s this coming from?

Zeke: I’ll explain in a moment. Please, I’d like to know.

Pandoria: Well, of course I like it! You gave me that nickname, and I always thought it was pretty good!

Zeke: Thanks, Pandy.

Pandoria: Now, are you gunna tell me what’s up with the random strange question, or what?

Zeke: I just… I want you to be happy.

Pandoria: Ok, now I REALLY gotta know. What’s gotten into you? This isn’t like you at all!

Zeke: *sigh* Well… could I ask you a favour?

Pandoria: Of course! Whatever it is, I’ll be glad to help!

Zeke: Then, would you mind… maybe not calling me “my prince” anymore?

Pandoria: Oh no, you must be coming down with something! I knew you weren’t acting right!

Zeke: Pandy, please, I’m serious. And… you’re actually spot on, there. I’m not acting right because I’m not acting, period. Not right now, at least. You know better than anyone just how much I flaunt about, trying to look as impressive as possible. But… I don’t want that to be who I am all the time. At least not anymore…

Pandoria slowly reached out as if to place her hand on Zeke’s, but caught herself and retracted back to herself.

Zeke: You know me, Pandy. The REAL me. I’m a fragile, weak, and pathetic arse who does nothing but gloat to make himself feel better.

Pandoria: Ok, NOW you’re being too hard on yourself. You helped take down an aegis! An aegis controlling the most powerful artifice ever, at that!

Zeke: Pfft, don’t make me laugh. You really think I so much as left a dent on that thing? Fighting along-side me were the aegis and her driver, a powerful flesh-eater, advanced artificial blade technology, and the Flamebringer herself. I don’t measure up to them.

Pandoria: But THEY were also fighting along-side YOU! Along-side US! You may not be an aegis driver, and I may not be an aegis, but so what? With all that hanging around Rex, you’d think he’d have gotten through to you about where REAL power comes from: the heart! Average, everyday humans and blades alike can do extraordinary things when it comes from the heart! And I KNOW you have a loving heart. And you know what? You used your heart to help save Alrest. Rex said that he couldn’t have taken down Aion alone - hell, that he couldn’t have made it out of ARGENTUM alone! You were part of the team! WE were part of the team!

Zeke: …

Pandoria: O-oh, sorry… I didn’t mean to shout at you, my pri- er, uh…

Zeke: No, it’s alright. You’re damn persuasive, you know that? But still… I… I consciously agree with what you’re saying, but… there’s just this nagging feeling eating away at me inside, telling me I’m nothing. I’m nothing, deserving less than nothing.

Pandoria: Is that why you don’t want me to address you as “my prince”? But, of all the titles for you to have, prince makes sense. You ARE a prince!

Zeke: That’s not entirely why I asked you to stop, though.

Pandoria: Well, why DID you ask?

Zeke: ...Pandoria. You mean a lot to me. You’re more than just a chum, in my books. And I just… I don’t want to be your prince, nor your master, or driver. I just… I want to be your friend.

Pandoria: Oh, is that all? I know you’re not possessive of me! If you were worried I thought you looked down on me, please know that I’ve never gotten the vibe that you wanted to be my better. I’ve just always called you “my prince” because… Because… Uh…

Zeke: Because I was an insecure new driver who wanted to be seen as a hero, like Addam. I wanted to be addressed as a hero. I wanted to BE a hero. But, that’s just it. I *am* a hero now, I guess? But… It doesn’t make me feel any better. Now I know just how juvenile I really was. Becoming a hero may have given me outside respect, but not self-respect. I never needed to be a hero to find that. It’s ironic: the one reason I sought to become a hero, and it’s the one thing I didn’t get.

Pandoria: Alright. I won’t call you that anymore then. What *should* I call you?

Zeke: Just Zeke. And, of course, any sort of thing I’d call others, like “chum” or “mate.”

Pandoria: Ok, Zeke! You got it!

Zeke: Ah, that’s music to my ears! It’s good to finally be on a first name basis with you, Pandy! After all these years…

Pandoria: *giggles*

Zeke: But…

Pandoria: But…?

Zeke: That’s still not the whole reason I asked you to do this for me. Now, I’m honestly unsure how to say this without being blunt. Would you like for us… to be partners?

Pandoria: Wait, if we haven’t been partners this whole time, what HAVE we been?

Zeke: Ugh, I’m so bad at this… You’re thinking “partners” as in a team, or as in “partners in crime.” But what if we could be partners in something better than crime?

Pandoria: I… don’t see where you’re taking this…

Pandoria said that, but didn’t mean it; she saw exactly where Zeke was taking it. She had been tempering her expectations for so long, that she just instinctively wrote it off.

Zeke: What if… we could be partners in love? THOSE kind of partners?

Pandoria: Z-Zeke…

Zeke: I love you, Pandy. -Oof!

Pandoria leapt onto Zeke, holding him in a tight hug.

Pandoria: Oh Zeke! I love you too! I love you, I love you, I love you! I’ve wanted to tell you for so long!

Zeke: P-Pandy! Can’t… breathe!

Pandoria: Oh no, sorry! I’m just… *exhales* I’m just so relieved.

Zeke let Pandoria continue as he caught his breath.

Pandoria: I was so worried, y’know? I didn’t want to ruin what we had going. I can’t live without you… and not just ‘cuz you’re my driver! You’ve been my best friend, and now you’re my boyfriend!

Zeke: Well, there’s… a catch.

Pandoria: Huh? What do you mean?

Zeke: I can’t be your boyfriend because I don’t think I’m a man. Well, not entirely, at least.

Pandoria: You’re idea of being “man enough” isn’t a problem with me, if that’s what you mean!

Zeke: That’s not what I meant. It’s not that I’m not “man enough,” it’s that I’m just not a man, in the way… people would typically think of a man.

Pandoria: I… I’m sorry, you’ve lost me…

Zeke: Gods, why am I so rubbish at explaining myself?

Zeke beckoned for Pandoria to lean in towards him, so he could sit forward and whisper into her ear.

Zeke, Whispering: I’m non-binary. At least, I think. So, I’m not exactly a man, in my heart of hearts.

Zeke leaned back again, so Pandoria sat back too.

Zeke: So, if… we were to date each other, I’d be your partner, not your boyfriend. I’m sorry, I should have just said it that way. But, well, I know this probably puts a wrench in things. I don’t blame you if you don’t want to be in a relationship with me anymo-

Pandoria: I do! I… I do. I still love you.

Zeke: But… if you’re only attracted to men… it might not work out in the end.

Pandoria: Zeke, I’m pansexual! It’s ok! My attraction to you isn’t tied to your gender! So I promise I still want to date you!

Zeke: *sigh of relief*

Pandoria: Z-Zeke, are you… crying!?

Zeke: Yes. But these are happy tears! I never in a bazillion years would have thought you would ever love the real me. And Pandy, I love you, too!

Pandoria: *excited squealing*

Zeke: If you’d like, could we maybe… hug, please?

Pandoria: O-of course!

Pandoria was now fighting back tears of her own. She reached around Zeke for an intimate hug - a much gentler hug than her last one.

Zeke: How about you, huh? Are you my girlfriend, or is that inaccurate, too?

Pandoria: It’s accurate. I’m a woman. A woman with a wonderful non-binary partner! Hee Hee!

Zeke: Thank you, Pandy. I love you dearly.

The two ended their hug.

Zeke: *chuckles*

Pandoria: What’s so funny?

Zeke: Pandy was pan all along! Not only is it punny, but it’s somehow fitting, too.

Pandoria: Hee Hee! Oh, that! Yeah, that *is* a bit funny how that turned out. Oh, by the way! Since you’ve come out as non-binary, what pronouns should I use for you?

Zeke: Still he/him. I’ve thought about other ones, but they just don’t quite feel right.

Pandoria: Gotchya!

Pandoria paused for a moment, and began giggling again. Her little lightbulb on her hat flickered from all her excited energy.

Pandoria: Oooooh, I can’t wait to tell everyone we’re partners now! I’m so pumped! I want to tell everyone! I want to run as fast as I can, jump as high as possible, fly as high as I feel right now!

Pandy flapped her arms like a bird about to take off, nearly hitting Zeke in the head.

Zeke: WOAH, careful Pandy, that nearly hit me square in the Eye of Shining Justice!

Pandoria: Oh no! I’m so sorry Zeke! I’m just so excited and bursting with energy and completely, wholly, entirely above the clouds right now!

Zeke: It’s ok, Pandy, I understand!

Pandoria suddenly jolted upright, ready to release some energy.

Pandoria: Turters! Where’s Turters!? We gotta tell him his two favourite buddies are dating now!

Zeke: Alright! Let’s go find him!

**Author's Note:**

> Turters needed more screen time in the game. Cute lil' turtle friend is best lil' buddy!


End file.
